The effect of an epiretinal membrane could be likened to the effect of crumpling up the film in a camera.

Firstly, the quality of the image is very poor.

Secondly, the image becomes distorted, straight objects such as lampposts and window frames may develop a kink .

Thirdly, it is not unusual for patients to develop a central missing patch in their vision.

Fourthly, both colours and the brightness of an image tend to be reduced in patients with an epiretinal membrane.

In many ways this could be compared to turning down the colour and brightness on your television. Epiretinal membranes tend to affect one eye at a time. Many people with an epiretinal membrane are very aware that the poorer eye interferes with or gets in the way of the better eye. As a result, even though the epiretinal membrane only affects one eye, the vision with both eyes open can be very unsettled. Some people go as far as covering, or closing, one eye in order to get over this effect.